ATF, SBI Investigate After Beach House Fire Kills 7

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Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. — Federal and state agents plan to investigate what caused a fire at an Ocean Isle Beach house that left seven South Carolina students dead and six more injured.

Authorities said 13 students, including 12 from University of South Carolina, were inside the house at 1 Scotland St. when the fire started just before 7 a.m. Sunday. Six of the deceased are believed to have gone to USC, and the seventh attended Clemson University.

"These are young people in the prime of their life. They had so much to look forward to, and it is just profoundly tragic," USC President Dr. Andrew Soresen said.

It might take two or three days to identify the deceased, Dr. Dennis Pruitt, vice president for student affairs at USC, said. Their bodies were taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Chapel Hill.

There was no reason to believe the fire was suspicious, but its origin and cause are still under investigation, Randy Thompson, director Brunswick County Emergency Services, said on Sunday night.

Neighbors said they heard the students partying on Saturday night, but things calmed down hours before the fire broke out shortly before 7 a.m.

Ocean Isle Beach firefighters were on the scene within four minutes of getting the call, but the house was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived. The stilted house faced a canal, along with other houses tightly packed together on a peninsula.

“The whole thing was just up in flames in no time,” neighbor Nell Blanton said. “It was just terribly to look at.”

“You could see and hear the fire. It was really roaring, way up in the sky. The smoke was billowing up towards the ocean,” said another neighbor who witnessed the fire.

Betty Smith, whose home lies across the canal, said she saw the fire racing from floor to floor before it took off the roof.

"I heard things bursting out, and you could almost feel the heat from the fire," she said.

Six people survived the fire, including at least one who jumped from the house to escape the flames. Bystanders said they heard yelling from inside the house.

“I still have cold chills, and I can still hear that guy’s voice hollering for help,” Blanton said.

Jeff Newsome said he and other neighbors saw a man standing at a third-story window and yelled at him to jump. After the man hit the ground, he called back up at the house for a friend. But no one else appeared in the window, Newsome said.

"The noise stopped, which is horrible," Newsome said.

The six survivors were transported to a Brunswick hospital and were treated and released Sunday, Smith said.

Students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were staying next door to the beach home, but none were injured in the fire. The members of the Alpha Phi Omega-Rho service fraternity were holding a weekend retreat.

Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the State Bureau of Investigation will be at the scene Monday morning, along with the county fire marshal, to investigate the origin and cause of the fire. Thompson said an investigation by the ATF is not unusual and that the county fire marshal works closely with the agency.

He declined to speculate where the fire started, but said it did a lot of damage to the upper floors of the house. Smith said the home had working smoke detectors but did not have sprinklers.

"Nothing like this has ever happened at Ocean Isle Beach," she said.

Flags were lowered to half-staff at the USC Greek Village in Columbia. The USC students were members of Delta Delta Delta sorority or Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, Pruitt said.

Students expressed shock at the sudden death of their peers.

"You just never know. One day it could happen to you, but you hope and pray it doesn't," USC student Josh Rivers said.

Sorensen rushed back to campus from an engagement in Washington, D.C., and university officials said they would be offering support and comfort to students.

"We've spent a lot of time (counseling) with the students from the sorority and fraternity," he said. "We encourage any student who is just learning of the situation and is a member of Tri-Delt or SAE to contact their parents and let them know they're OK."

"I think it is incumbent on all of us to respect the grieving and overall sense of sadness that the people who knew these individuals feels," Sorensen said.

The university has activated a counseling network that includes advisers in residence halls. Anyone in the university community who needs help should call the counseling center at 803-777-5223.

A memorial service has not been scheduled, Pruitt said.

"I'm sure the university will plan an appropriate service at an appropriate time," depending on the wishes of family and friends.

Scarecrow CowOct 29, 2007

So tragic. This is why I don't go to wild parties. They always end badly. Prayers for all involved.

SunnyDaysOct 28, 2007

Thank you "Fuquay Resident" ....how many times does that have to be said, that it was a private residence, but private or not, it was a tragedy, young lives were taken... and the smoke detectors were working by all accounts...sprinklers were missing.

Thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the deceased and to their friends that were hurt as well.

DerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrOct 28, 2007

Did anyone notice that the N&O did an entire article on UNC students staying next to the house that caught on fire? I guess this tragedy wasn't local enough, so they had to make it more local to get more readers/sell more papers. I guess it's par for the course for mass media.

bbmomrnOct 28, 2007

My son went to high school with one of the girls that was killed. It is so hard to believe and so very sad. My prayers are with all the families involved.

elcid89Oct 28, 2007

This brings back to mind the fire at Phi Gamma Delta here in CH. So tragic.

Hoping the families and all involved this tragedy can find some peace.

XtremeNuisanceOct 28, 2007

I actually want them to release names because a friend of mine is worried about her friends who may or may not have been there. So I'm praying for them...

yukonjohn3Oct 28, 2007

So tragic. Prayers go out to all the family and friends of all of these students. To the brave fire and rescue personnel, God Bless you and thank you for your service. God Bless all involved in this terrible event.

Fuquay ResidentOct 28, 2007

Good idea GulfWarVet, but this wasn't a rental house, it was owned by the parents of one of the victims.

malave27896Oct 28, 2007

My prayers and thoughts go to the family of all the victims.....A terrible thing that happened . And I wish a safe and fast recovery for the ones who were able to escape with their lives. I'm from Ocean Isle and I know that the community is feeling the loss for these people and family.

hywilsonOct 28, 2007

So sad, so young. They were jsut havin a good time and then lives taken in teh blink of an eye. God blees the families adn friends of those lost. Prayers will be said for them!!